[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 180 (Friday, December 11, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H9274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DON'T FUND UNESCO BECAUSE IT HAS RECOGNIZED A NON-EXISTENT PALESTINIAN 
                                 STATE

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, Secretary Kerry has been pressuring 
the Israeli Government to relent in its opposition to U.S. funding for 
UNESCO.
  It is a shame Secretary Kerry isn't using the full weight of his 
office to hold Abu Mazen and the corrupt Palestinian Authority 
accountable for their incitement to violence and their continued 
efforts to de-legitimize and isolate the Jewish state at the U.N. while 
pursuing unilateral state recognition.
  But, with all due respect to the Israeli Government's newfound 
position, which undoubtedly was achieved under duress, this is a matter 
of U.S. law and Congress' clear desire to force fundamental reforms at 
the broken U.N. system.
  Our laws are clear. No taxpayer dollars can be used to fund any 
agency at the U.N. that admits a nonexistent state of Palestine. UNESCO 
did, so, therefore, no U.S. dollars.
  I urge Congress not to relent, but to stand with me and defend our 
jurisdiction and continue to uphold both the letter and the spirit of 
the law.

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